NASA Unveils 3D Model Revealing Earth's Irregular Shape

WHO:

Wired - NASA is the U.S. space agency responsible for the new 3D model.

Diario AS - Scientists are involved in analyzing the gravitational field and the geoid model.

WHAT:

Wired - NASA released a new 3D model that shows the Earth's gravitational field.

Diario AS - The model illustrates variations in Earth's gravity and depicts a scientific model known as the geoid.

Diario AS - The highest point in Earth’s gravitational field is near Iceland, rising about 279 feet above the global average.

Diario AS - The lowest point in the gravitational field is south of India, dipping roughly 348 feet below the average.

Diario AS - NASA exaggerated the variations in the model by a factor of 10,000.

WHERE:

Diario AS - The highest gravitational point is located near Iceland.

Diario AS - The lowest gravitational point is located south of India.

WHEN:

Diario AS - The model was produced after analyzing more than a billion measurements collected over 15 years.

WHY:

Diario AS - The model helps scientists improve navigation systems and better understand the planet’s interior.

HOW:

Diario AS - Researchers combined data from specialized satellites, including the European Space Agency’s GOCE mission and NASA’s GRACE mission.

Diario AS - The model visualizes how the ocean’s surface would look if influenced only by gravity, without the effects of tides, currents, or winds.

(UPDATED July 29, 2026 10:57 UTC)

NASA has unveiled a new 3D model that illustrates the Earth's gravitational field, revealing significant variations in gravity across the planet. The model, which was developed from over a billion measurements collected over 15 years, shows that the highest gravitational point is near Iceland, while the lowest is located south of India, with the latter dipping roughly 348 feet below the global average. This advanced model, which exaggerates variations by a factor of 10,000, aids scientists in enhancing navigation systems and deepening our understanding of the Earth's interior.